FIFA World Cup 2010 guide

All the tips you need to know for soccer success

Dribbling past a man is still as nails as it was in FIFA 10. Rather than trying to beat a player outright, you should just concentrate on trying to create yourself a yard of space with a shimmy on L2 or quick change of direction with R2. This’ll help you create space for yourself to make a pass or crack off a shot.

Above: Hold down L2 while dribbling to keep the ball close to your body

When you’re using R2 to run, make sure you use it sparingly. The easiest way to lose the ball is too charge at a player like Little Johnny Sprint-a-lot and end up on your arse when they stick a foot out. The best way to use it is to combine the technique with the controlled L2 dribble. Switching between pace and close control should confuse your opposite number and give you a better chance of getting by him.

Above: The heel to heel flick in all its showy 'works every so often' glory

Now onto tricks that won’t have you eating grass. And we’ll be honest, it’s a short list. While the exhaustive array of L2 and right stick tricks might look ace in the Arena mode, most of them simply take too long to pull off in an actual match. The only one we find consistently works it the heel to heel flick. To pull it off, simply hold L2 and tap the right stick from left to right if running horizontally or up and down if running vertically. It’s a great technique when you’re bombing down the wing and want to beat the last man.